[Continued listening extract audio not available in printed QP] Music (continued) A hymn has two phrases. The first ends with chord I moving to V. The secon...
Question 1 Report
[Continued listening extract audio not available in printed QP]
Music (continued)
A hymn has two phrases. The first ends with chord I moving to V. The second ends with V moving to I.
(a) Which type of cadence ends on chord V? [1]
(b) Which type of cadence is formed by V to I? [1]
[Total: 2 marks]
Answer Details
(a) Imperfect cadence [1]
An imperfect cadence (also called a half cadence) is any cadence that ends on chord V (the dominant). In this example, the first phrase ends with chord I moving to chord V. Because the final chord is V, the phrase feels unfinished or suspended - like a musical question mark. The listener expects resolution, which creates forward momentum toward the next phrase. Imperfect cadences are used at the end of antecedent phrases to keep the music moving and to set up a conclusive cadence later.
(b) Perfect cadence [1]
A perfect cadence (also called an authentic cadence) is formed by chord V moving to chord I (dominant to tonic). This is the strongest and most conclusive cadence in tonal music. It sounds resolved and final - like a musical full stop. The second phrase ends V to I, providing the satisfying sense of closure that the imperfect cadence at the end of the first phrase withheld. The four main cadence types in tonal music are: perfect (V-I), imperfect (ending on V), plagal (IV-I), and interrupted (V-vi). The perfect cadence is the most common way to end a piece or a major section.
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